Despite not yet officially confirming a release date or price for Gear VR, Samsung’s first mobile VR headset, demo units are already popping up at electronics retailer Best Buy in the United States.
Reddit user Hackertripz appears to have been the first to spot a Gear VR demo unit at a Best Buy in Los Angeles, CA. The unit has a metal anti-theft enclosure but Best Buy isn’t quite ready let the public experience the new mobile VR headset; Hackertripz, who says that two Best Buy stores he visited had Gear VR demo units, noticed that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 smartphone, which attaches to the headset to provide a screen and processor, wasn’t even inside the demo unit at this point.
Matthew Terndrup, also based in Los Angeles, checked out several Best Buy stores in the area and found the headset too (also lacking the Note 4 inside). A Samsung rep at the store told him that “We’re not even allowed to demo it yet.” Terndrup also discovered that when Best Buy does start offering demos, they’ll require users to sign a form first. “People will have to sign a waiver, like a consent form… We will have to put a chair down so people can sit down to avoid any accidents,” the rep told Terndrup.
Oculus, which collaborated with Samsung on Gear VR, recently confirmed that they aim to release their Android SDK—used to build Gear VR experiences—in early October. Furthermore, their website confirms that Gear VR will be release this “fall”.
See Also: Oculus Confirms Mobile SDK Launch in October, Gear VR Release Date This Fall
Samsung has so far only confirmed that Gear VR will be sold online and in certain cellular carrier stores.